Aug 22 – Mrs Sarah Ralph died to day.[94] Went down to Katharines in morning with Daniel. Mart thrashing to Smiths. Mamy Young Died.[95] Hank, Nancy and Hannah came home on noon train. Carried Daniel over to Hanks. He goes on the 9 oclock run.

Aug 23 – Laid some floor in back room. Went up to mill got pump.

Aug 24 – Laying floor. Took pump back to get it finished.

Aug 25 – Went down to M O Streators. Got five bushels wheat took it to mill. Went over to burg in Evening 11 doz ½ eggs 12¢ pr doz.

Sep 25 – Hanks folks went up to John Freers.[103] Alvin and Julia came here. Ethan and Hannah came on the 11.11 train. Katharine and Lucy came up just at night. I went to Augusta with Mr Streator to hear Burnham lecture.

Sep 26 – Had a nice shower this morning. Carried Sarah over to Burg. She and Jim went to Grand Rappids to Mrs Wm Planks.[104] Carried Jim over they went on the one oclock run. James A. Garfield Buried to day.

[40] A shilling was a coin of Colonial America and varied between 12¢ and 16¢

[41] His daughter, Lois (Keith) Clark Skinner, by his first wife, Minerva Payson

[42] His granddaughter, Ina Skinner, Lois’ daughter by her second husband, Adelbert Skinner

[43] FindAGrave.com records confirm that Orrin David Schram died on March 4, 1881 and that he is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Galesburg, Michigan

[44] Oak Grove Cemetery records show that Jane (Havens) Thomas, the wife of John Thomas, died in 1881 and a search of Ancestry.com reveals an obituary for Mrs. John Thomas confirming the date of death

[45] Julia Allen, Matilda (Allen) Brown’s sister. Julia had breast cancer and this cradle was built for her as she found the rocking motion soothing. At times the pain would be so intense that she left fingernail marks in the cradle

[46] After Luke’s first wife, Minerva, died, Joseph & Amanda (Hobbs) Flanders took care of Luke’s son Henry until Luke remarried; it is believed that his daughter Lois went to live with Minerva’s parents during that same time

[47] His youngest daughter Louese Keith, also referred to as Lou or Sis

[48] Michigan death records reveal that Jervis D. Adams died March 11, 1881 in Climax, Michigan, and FindAGrave.com shows that he is buried in Prairie Home Cemetery in Climax, Michigan

[57] Daughters of James and Ellen (Adams) Milham, his neighbors in Comstock. James was the half-brother of Martin Milham (son-in-law of his sister Catherine (Keith) Bradley Lee, and Ellen (Adams) Milham was the sister of Charlana (Adams) Meredith, the grandmother of Cora Meredith who would marry Luke’s son James Keith in 1891

[63] Ellen (Adams) Milham (see footnote to March 27th entry). No death record has been found but a search of FindAGrave.com shows that James & Ellen Milham are buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Galesburg, Michigan, however, no dates are included. A transcript of Oak Grove Cemetery records lists Ellen O. (Adams) Milham, wife of James, born May 31, 1832, died April 18, 1884. It is possible that there was a mistake in the records and/or that the stone did not have a date or was weather worn. Since Luke’s entries are so detailed as to her funeral and that she is buried in Oak Grove I have to assume that the year of 1884 is wrong

[71] His neighbor, Marius O. Streator, and father of Henry “Harry” Streator (see footnote to January 5th entry)

[72] Perhaps the herb Elecampane, the root of which was used to make medicine. It was used for lung diseases including asthma, bronchitis, and whooping cough and also to prevent coughing, especially coughing caused by tuberculosis

[77] Neighbor, Catherine Comings. Michigan death records confirm that Kate Comings, age 22, died of consumption on May 24, 1881 in Comstock, Michigan and FindAGrave.com shows she is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Galesburg, Michigan

[93] Assume that since Louese had been staying with Hiram & Kate Crawford, that this is their daughter, Jessie Crawford, who was 9 years old

[94] Michigan death records show that Sarah Ann (Tyson) Ralph, age 43, died of heart disease in Charleston, Michigan on August 22, 1881 and FindAGrave.com indicates that she is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Galesburg, Michigan

[95] Michigan death records confirm that Mamie Young, age 21, died of Typhoid Fever in Comstock, Michigan and FindAGrave.com shows that she is buried in Augusta Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan

[96] It appears that Alfleda is moving to live with her son James “Oscar” Keith

[97] A search of Michigan birth and death records reveals that Mary E. Rogers, the daughter of Amos and Mary (Batt) Rogers, was born October 2, 1877, and died from diphtheria in Comstock, Michigan on September 1, 1881; FindAGrave.com shows she is buried in the Galesburg City Cemetery in Galesburg, Michigan

[98] Luke’s July 13th entry tells that he went to pick up Harry from the train; on August 20 Jessie came with Louese when she returned home, so it is assumed that this entry refers to Harry and Jessie Crawford, the children of Hiram & Kate Crawford

[100] From Encyclopedia Virginia: Ambrose E. Burnside was a major general in the Union army during the American Civil War (1861–1865). Instantly recognizable for his bushy sideburns (the term itself is derived from reversing his last name), [when] Burnside … did take command of the army, he led it into disaster at the Battle of Fredericksburg (1862), perhaps the Union’s most lopsided defeat of the war. After his corps was badly defeated at the Battle of the Crater (1864) he went home on a leave of absence from which he was never called back to duty. Burnside’s dismal reputation is probably unfair, however. He was an innovative engineer but an unlucky general who was often made a scapegoat for larger failures. He died on September 13, 1881, in Bristol, Rhode Island.

[101] The assassination of James Abram Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, began when he was shot at 9:30 a.m. on July 2, 1881, less than four months into his term as President, and ended in his death 79 days later on September 19, 1881. He was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., and died in Elberon, New Jersey. Guiteau’s motive was revenge against Garfield for an imagined political debt. Focused on finding and removing the bullet, the doctors stuck their unwashed fingers in the wound and probed around, without applying any anesthetic. In late 19th century America, such a search was common medical practice for treating gunshot wounds. The doctors tortured the president with more digital probing and many surgical attempts to widen the three-inch deep wound into a 20-inch-long incision, beginning at his ribs and extending to his groin. It soon became super-infected and pus-ridden. Guiteau was later found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, even though he was one of first high-profile cases in American history to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. He was hanged on June 20, 1882, in Washington D.C. There is, indeed, a grain of truth to the assassin Guiteau’s claim “the doctors killed Garfield, I just shot him.” (Taken from Wikipedia and PBS websites)

[117] The half-brother of Martin Milham (see footnote for January 2nd entry)

[118] Michigan death records confirm that Eleanor (Ward) Stone died November 19, 1881 in Comstock and FindAGrave.com records reveal that she is buried in Boughton Cemetery, Kalamazoo, Michigan. Luke’s reference to her being buried at McCain’s Corners is unclear at this time

[125] Michigan death records confirm that Ann Marie Ives died November 30, 1881, and FindAGrave.com shows she is buried in the Schoolcraft Township Cemetery in Vicksburg, Michigan. She was the wife of Abijah Ives (see footnote to December 16th entry)

[126] Michigan death records show that David K. Rogers died in Comstock on December 1st and FindAGrave.com records show that he is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Galesburg, Michigan

[130] Michigan death records confirm that Abijah Ives died December 16, 1881, and FindAGrave.com shows he is buried in the Schoolcraft Township Cemetery in Vicksburg, Michigan. His wife Ann died just two weeks prior (see footnote to November 30th entry)

[131] At this point, Lucy (Lee) Milham had five children ranging in age from 13 years on down

[132] Michigan marriage records confirm the date of marriage; Ida Eva Milham was the daughter of Richard & Hannah (Goodrich) Milham and Richard was the brother of James Milham (see footnote to the November 13th entry) and the half-brother of Martin Milham (see footnote to the January 2nd entry)